


As Pink As Her Dress

by FurnitureGemstone



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: A gift for a friend, F/M, Fluff, Presents, Romance, Silly, Surprises, Valentione's Day, unexpected
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 09:58:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13656642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FurnitureGemstone/pseuds/FurnitureGemstone
Summary: Alphinaud isn't sure what to get his favorite miqo'te Warrior of Light for Valentione's Day.Minor 4.2 MSQ spoilers if you're not completely through it yet.





	As Pink As Her Dress

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thepiratebei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepiratebei/gifts).



> A gift/trade for a lovely person with a lovely miqo'te WoL! Enjoy!

_ Pink. Something pink? _ A bouquet of cherry blossoms?  _ Perhaps.. _ A lovely sketch done in the soothing shades of a sunset?  _ How unoriginal.. _ A nice piece of jewelry? Candy? More flowers? A candlelit dinner?

Alphinaud gave a defeated sigh as he sat down on a bench at the Kogane Dori. They’d been back in Kugane nearly a moon now after previous events, and somehow, it seemed, Eorzea’s “lovey-dovey-est” holiday had swept its way across the sea and to Hingashi’s shores. Small heart-shaped balloons, baskets full of flowers, and various sundries were all on display in an attempt to catch the eyes of adoring ladies and doting men.

Valentione’s was not something celebrated in Sharlayan, and the holiday had been completely foreign to Alphinaud when he’d arrived on Eorzea’s shores. Most couples in Sharlayan tended to be subdued in their outward affection, and the very  _ thought _ of buying special goods just to satisfy a holiday was unheard of. 

But, it seemed like a good excuse for Alphinaud to get something special for A’liese. After all they’d been through, with their countless adventures, battles, and now the latest mishap involving the price of a sword, it was only fair. Besides, he wanted to see the grin on her face when he found the perfect gift. The slight twitch in her tail in excitement. A wiggle of the miqo’te’s ears. And most of all, that  _ delicious  _ little hip wiggle she did when happy.

Yet, Alphinaud was completely stumped. _ What exactly does one buy for the Warrior of Light that she does not already have? _ He brought a hand to his chin, completely lost in thought.

“You look absolutely defeated. Tataru didn’t give you  _ that _ much of a talking to over the sword fiasco, did she?” The familiar voice startled Alphinaud from his thoughts as the figure plopped down beside him on the bench, thin arms nonchalantly folding. A small smirk formed behind lightly tinted lips as Alphinaud turned to face the blue eyes and white hair matching his own.

“Alisaie.. No, it’s not that.” He hesitated a moment, unsure if he should reveal his thoughts to his sister. At best, he’d be subjected to even  _ more _ teasing, at worst.. Shrugging his shoulders, Alphinaud continued on. “I was considering a present for A’liese, to celebrate the upcoming holiday. However, I’m afraid it’s beyond me what she’d even  _ like. _ ” Alisaie’s smirk only grew wider in response as she suddenly sat forward.

“ _ Well,”  _ she began, in that same sing-songy, slightly derisive tone of hers, “To think that you, of all people, are completely stumped on such a  _ trivial _ matter. With the amount of time you two spend glued to each other’s sides, I would think figuring something out would be an easy task.” Alphinaud groaned.

“ _ You, of all people,”  _ Alphinaud mocked back, “Know that most of the time we spend together is focused on more important matters. It’s not as if I can suddenly pull her aside to ask ‘Hey what sort of things do you like?’ in the middle of a battle.” Alisaie brought a finger to her lips, looking up to the sky teasingly.

‘What about that one time when Tataru caught you and A’liese-”

“Alisaie..” 

“What? Oh! Or that time when I thought I heard a strange noise and came to investigate only to find A’liese  _ purring  _ because you were-”

“ _ Alisaie…” _

“Oooor, that time when you were both locked in a closet and-”

“ ** _Alisaie!”_**  Alisaie simply shrugged, grinning devilishly.

“While you’re not  _ wrong _ , that still does not solve my problem..” Alphinaud let out another frustrated groan. “I’d just like it to be  _ memorable _ . I’m sure I’ll think of something in time.” He turned to face his sister once more, paling at the wide grin still painting her face. Looks like that were never a sign of good things to come.

“Oh, it’ll be  _ memorable _ , for sure.” Alisaie gave a comforting pat on Alphinaud’s back. A small shiver ran through Alphinaud’s spine.  _ Why do I feel as if she’s plotting something? _

“What have you got in mind, Alisaie?” Alphinaud’s eyes narrowed a bit, matching his skeptical frown.

“Don’t worry about it, alright?” Was the only reply, before Alisaie rose from her spot, heading down the street.

\--

The following days were a blur, meetings with various officials, a call back to Doma to consult with Lord Hien, lectures about  _ proper finances _ with Tataru- it was a wonder Alphinaud had any time to plan, purchase, or consider a gift for Valentione’s. He’d barely managed a few moments alone with A’liese to invite her out the evening of.

Exhausted, Alphinaud flopped onto his bed only to find it cold and empty. It seemed that even the Warrior of Light could not find time to herself, likely off doing who knows what for who knows who. With a sigh, he reached up to pull the pillow next to him into his arms, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath of the scent it still contained. 

Alphinaud quickly fell asleep, too tired to notice the sound of the door to his room quietly opening, or the quiet padding of feet as a figure moved closer to him. It stood a moment, watching to make sure he was asleep, before bending down and slipping something into the pocket of his coat.

“Sure to be  _ quite _ the surprise, dear brother.” The form quickly slipped back out, closing the door behind.

\--

Finally, Valentione’s had arrived, and the evening of his date. Alphinaud gave one final look in the mirror, making sure his hair and coat were in order. He gave a soft sigh as he noticed the sleeves were becoming just a  _ bit _ too short. He’d have to talk to Tataru about that. Once she was calmed down again about the katana incident. Leaning over, he picked up a medium-sized wrapped package, covered in a delicate pink floral paper, and made his way out of the Ruby Bazaar.

Alphinaud’s breath caught in his throat when he spied A’liese standing there, already waiting for him. She wore a long, pink kimono, nearly matching the sudden pink washing across Alphinaud’s cheeks, and perfectly matching the tones of her hair and tail. Her hair was neatly tied back into a low bun under her ears with a small ribbon of something dangling from it. A’liese smiled wide when she caught Alphinaud’s eyes, before waving and heading over.

“Alphinaud! What do you think? I went with something traditionally Hingashi, er, Hingashian, er, something traditional for the evenin’.” A’liese gave a small twirl as Alphinaud simply nodded, his mouth slightly agape at the sight.

“You look absolutely wonderful!” He gave a cheery smile as he found his voice again, before remembering the package in his hands. “Right, this is for you. I hope you like it.” Carefully, he held it out to her.

“Oh! You didn’t have to get me anything. I didn’t get you anything…” A’liese sighed a bit, before smiling softly and gently taking the item.

“It’s quite alright, your company is a treat enough for me.” Alphinaud could feel his face cooling finally, smiling brightly once more. “I hope you like it.” Carefully, A’liese undid the ties around the package, gently removing the paper. 

Inside was a myriad of items; sketches of various places around Kugane, a terribly gushy and embarrassing poem about what Alphinaud thought of A’liese's ears and tail, a small assortment of sweets, some dried cherry blossoms, and various other trinkets. As quickly as the flush had gone, the pink tint returned to Alphinaud’s face once more.

“Erm, I wasn’t sure  _ what _ to get you, so I got you a little bit of everything at once. I hope it’s-” Alphinaud was cut off as A’liese quickly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly for a moment, before giving him a quick kiss.

“Of course it’s alright! I love it all, thank you.” She pulled away to smile at him a moment, before teasingly planting another kiss on his nose. A’liese giggled as Alphinaud stared at her, dazed again from the kiss. It seemed that even after all their time together, nights spent in each other’s arms, even small gestures of affection were enough to get him flustered. 

Finally finding himself again, Alphinaud stood straight, before offering his arm out to A’liese.

“Well.. ..Should we be off for the rest of the evening, then?” 

The rest of the evening went smoothly. The two strolled through the various streets of Kugane, stopping to look in on the various shops, grabbing a bite to eat at a few street carts, staring up at the stars together on the bridge overlooking the aetheryte plaza. 

Alphinaud let out a contented sigh as the evening wore on, leaning against A’liese’s side and closing his eyes a moment. The sights. The sounds. The smells. All of it was absolutely wonderful to take in, without the pressing needs of Eorzea’s troubles, or Doma’s troubles, or the troubles of anyone at all. To just take it all in for a few moments of freedom. 

“I feel so contented here, with you.” He mused against the miqo’te’s side as he slung an arm lazily around her waist. “I wish it could be this way forever.. It makes me want to...”

Opening his eyes once more, Alphinaud noticed a piece of something fluttering to the ground in front of A’liese. He pulled away and knelt to examine it, bending forward onto one knee.

It was then that a small object slipped from Alphinaud’s pocket as he bent, glinting slightly in the moonlight before clattering onto the ground and rolling to a stop between them both. He’d barely noticed it at all when a small audible gasp came from the miqo’te still standing in front of him.

“...A’liese?” Alphinaud started, turning to look up at her in concern. Blue eyes met black for a brief moment. She simply held her hands over her mouth, a shocked expression on her face, before pointing to the object between them. 

“A-A-Alphinaud!” Was all she could blurt out. Confused, he glanced down to follow her fingers.

There, on the ground, between them, was a small ring. A band made of rose-gold, giving it a pink tint against the rather  _ large _ gem adorning it. It gave off a small sparkle in the moonlight. 

“Are, are  **you** ?” A’liese muttered again, muffled behind a hand still over her mouth. It was then that Alphinaud put two and two together. 

A romantic evening filled with presents, food, strolls through romantic views, all under the moonlight. A ring in front of them, having seemingly slipped from his pocket. His being bent on one knee in front of her.  _ On Valentione’s Day. _ Alphinaud could feel his cheeks beginning to burn red-hot, forming a blush along his face and to the very tips of his ears. 

 

_ “Oh, it’ll be memorable, for sure.”  _

 

**_Alisaie._ **

 

“No! It’s not what you think! I’m not- Alisaie must have slipped it into my pocket. I, no!” Alphinaud snatched up the ring, immediately standing and waving his arms in front of him. “It’s not like  _ that _ .” A’liese stared a moment, before she let out a small sigh of relief, lowering her hands.

“By the Twelve.. I thought you were  _ proposing _ . I’m going to have a talk with Alisaie...” She began to chuckle, before bending over and bursting into full-on laughter. Alphinaud could only feel his cheeks tinting further.

“I mean, I  _ do _ like you, perhaps even  _ love _ you, A’liese. It’s just, I don’t think either of us is ready for such a thing, not with everything else going on..” He sighed, shrugging his shoulders a bit, before standing straight again. “Not that I don’t want to marry you  _ someday _ , that is! Just, not now?”

“I think that’s for the best..” The slightly taller miqo’te let out another chuckle, standing straight once more before smiling widely. She patted the top of Alphinaud’s head gently. Alphinaud squirmed, letting out a small sigh in defeat.

“Er, but you can still keep the ring. If you’d like.” Alphinaud gave a sheepish grin in response, before holding the ring up to her. A’liese reached out for it, slipping it onto a finger. Alphinaud leaned over, gently kissing her on the lips before slipping his arm around her. Gently, he leaned his head on her shoulder.

“Happy Valentione’s, A’liese.”

“Happy Valentione’s, Alphinaud.” 

\--- End! ---


End file.
